A cheerful chuckle resounded across the office.
“It sounds like you’ve had a busy week!” Doctor Hugs said. “Is there anything else either of you would like to add before we continue?”
Fleur gazed into the cup and stirred the remaining sip’s worth of tea, pondering over the events of the past week.
Per the doctor’s request she had recounted pretty much everything there was to cover—the awkward first days spent around Chestnut, losing and finding her on the Promenade, the lessons in poise and pizzazz, up to yesterday’s grand event with its numerous, more or less successful encounters with the Canterlot Elite. A busy week indeed! Fancy Pants supplemented her story with various small steps of his own involving crosswords, adventure books, and elderly shopkeepers, but even with his help Fleur felt their report was lacking. Chestnut would know what details they missed but she was waiting outside for the time being, as it was apparently required on this stage of the evaluation session.
She put the cup away.
“Only that neither Nutsie nor I realized Fancy Pants was in the doorway all along.” She threw a glance at her husband. “How long have you been standing there, anyway?”
“I got upstairs just in time to witness one of the most heartwarming scenes I have ever seen. Chestnut’s beautiful dream, standing there when she called Fleur ‘Mom’ for the first time… it was an exceptional experience, to say the least. Oh, and don’t get me started on all the hugging and snuggling! I know I cried myself, there’s no denying that.”
Fleur murmured in agreement. “I have to admit I was rather surprised to see our acquaintances acting so supportive about our decision, especially after my outburst. I realize some of them weren’t completely honest, but since our little guest of honor was in demand for the rest of the evening I suppose in the end it turned out pretty well.”
Doctor Hugs joined his hooves in a loud clap.
“Splendid! I understand that you’re ready to finalize the adoption procedures, yes?” he said, to which the unicorns nodded. “Do you recognize the thestral filly named Chestnut as your adopted daughter? Will you do everything in your power to provide her with home and caring as her legal mother and father from here on out?”
A shiver of excitement went down Fleur’s spine. It was really happening!
“We certainly do!” she almost shouted.
“And we will,” Fancy Pants added. “I believe it’s safe to say we’ve learned a lot about ourselves from Chestnut. Perhaps our lives haven’t suddenly turned one hundred and eighty degrees because of her, but frankly, after the week we’ve spent together, I can no longer imagine her voice, her presence not accompanying us in our everyday routines.”
“I’m happy to hear that,” Doctor Hugs replied, for once not turning into a living smiley face but keeping a serious, yet nonetheless warm expression. “Just keep in mind that your unique relationship with Chestnut will be challenged in many ways in the days to come. But, from what I can see, you’re going to do just fine.” He shot his hoof at the mare. “Mrs. Fleur, when we met for the first time, you defined the word ‘mother’ as someone who gave birth to a child. I’m curious, did the trial period change anything regarding that?”
“But of course! I now understand that being a mother can be a matter of bond and not necessarily blood. It’s such a wonderful feeling, taking up this mantle, and even as an adopted one, I mean mother, it’s like…”
Her voice trailed off as she found herself struggling for the right words. She thought about her recently reshaped idea of motherhood. What it meant to her, how she felt in that role, why Chestnut was so important to her. Regrettably, the entire concept didn’t want to translate itself into words.
She smiled apologetically. “It’s difficult to explain. I’m sorry, doctor. You probably know by now that I’m not very good at talking about these things. But I do feel them.” She pointed at her chest. “Right here.”
The stallion chuckled. “It’s quite alright, madam, quite alright. I can definitely see a change in your views and I do believe it’s one for the better,” he said. “By the way, if you don’t know how to talk about your feelings you can always try writing them down first.”
“And who would read that, I wonder?”
“Only those with whom you’d share it or no one at all. My point is, you’ve collected quite a few beautiful moments already and there are many more yet to come. Might as well start keeping track of them.”
Fleur liked the sound of that. She had been preserving her accomplishments in photos, dresses, and magazine covers, but not in words. She never had a diary or a journal in which she would be writing down her day-to-day life. Perhaps it was a good time to set one up? It wasn’t on her retirement list of potential hobbies but she could probably squeeze it somewhere between amateur painting and playing checkers.
She shrugged. “You know what, doctor? I might give it a shot.”
Once again a beaming smile came to the stallion’s face. He stood up.
“If you don’t have any more questions at this point, I’d like you to wait outside,” he said. “Please ask Chestnut to come in. For this next part of the evaluation session I need to talk with the adoptee in private.”
As the unicorns reached the door and were about to leave the office, Fancy Pants turned around.
“Actually, there is one thing that’s been bugging me,” he admitted. “That questionnaire of yours, supposedly revealing the most appropriate choice? I doubt that a tried and tested scientific method would bring Chestnut specifically to us, so I’ll venture a guess and say that is not how it really works. Would I be wrong in my assumption?”
“Ah! I was wondering if you’d ask that!” Doctor Hugs replied. “You see, the truth is that no questionnaire, test, or any tool I have in that cabinet can determine if a couple will be compatible with a given child. Such a relationship is way too complex, it involved too many factors to be put into numbers and measured.” His smile didn’t wear off, but he chose his next words carefully. “I hope you’ll forgive this… misinformation on my part. Since Chestnut was the only choice I could recommend to a couple like you, the questionnaire was a way of ensuring you’d give her a chance.”
Fleur cocked her eyebrow. “The only choice? Why would that be?”
“Most of the kids here are much younger than Chestnut. They are still in a delicate process of shaping their individual personalities, and because of that they are extremely susceptible to outside influences or pressures,” the stallion said. “Now, you came to the Orphanarium with a well thought-out vision of you and your perfect child. Let’s say you chose to adopt a young filly who doesn’t even have her cutie mark. A blank slate, so to speak. Let’s say I recommended her. What do you think would happen?”
Fancy Pants wasn’t the only one who learned something about himself, and Fleur wasn’t going to fall for the shrink’s tricks this time, either. “I guess I’d impose my dreams and throw my ways on her instead of trying to bring her into my life,” she swiftly replied. “I see you point, doctor. If you were afraid that I would do that you inferred correctly, as much as I am now ashamed to admit it.”
“There is nothing worse for a growing child than a parent trying to set expectations where love and acceptance should take hold. Chestnut has, shall we say, just enough herself in her character, so if you’d tried to force changes onto her she would oppose them. I was hoping you’d learn to compromise instead, and I think I’m not disappointed.”
“You seem to be putting an awful lot of faith in others,” Fancy Pants said with a frown.
Doctor Hugs opened his forelegs in an innocent shrug.
“What would become of us ponies if we weren’t?”
Fleur smirked. Sunlit Hugs? More like Sneaky Hugs. Yet he was right nonetheless—it was too easy to imagine what she would do if she had been introduced to Chestnut right after crossing the threshold of the Orphanarium, without a test to pair her with the filly. She would laugh at the doctor and miss the greatest learning experience of her life.
Somewhat conflicted still and wondering what to think about ponies deceiving others for the greater good, Fleur and Fancy Pants walked out of the office and let Chestnut take their place. The filly only grinned at them, her fangs shining like the playful sparks dancing in her eyes.
“Hiya, Doc!” she cheerfully exclaimed.
When she closed the door behind her, Fleur instinctively headed towards the nearest wall.
“Oh dear. I’m so nervous! I have never been so nervous in my entire life! I’m not going to faint from that, am I?”
Fancy Pants checked on her but found nothing alarming about her state. She was shuffling her hooves in anticipation, beaming like a pony who had just unexpectedly won the mysterious prize at the Ponyville’s Fable Fair. He spotted traces of pride mixed with healthy consternation in her eyes, but those were to be expected.
“Don’t be ridiculous. Though I find the good doctor’s ethical stance a tad questionable, it’s nothing unusual that he needs to talk to Chestnut alone. After all, he’s been sheltering and educating her for quite some time now.”
“It’s so real right now. I suddenly feel so… so adult! We’re going to be parents!”
The stallion looked at her, amused. “In case you haven’t noticed, dear, we’ve been parents for the past week, and I daresay we performed admirably. I suggest we stay on course and just keep doing whatever we’ve been doing, only better.”
“Oui, you’re probably right.” She raised to the tips of her hooves and went for a kiss, but she got distracted halfway and her lips never reached the stallion’s cheek. She hurried to the window. “What’s that? Is it… is it snowing already?”
Down below in the street, a trio of unicorns wearing blue-white vests of the Weather Corps were casting their spells at a fluffy cloud hovering over their heads. With each surge of magic the cloud grew larger, and it soon exploded into tiny pieces of frozen water which fell down in their icy dance. Since it wasn’t exactly cold outside, a lot of them melted long before reaching the ground, but the show of swirling snowflakes sufficed to catch everyone’s attention. Some of the passers-by stopped in their rush and stuck out their tongues to celebrate the foretaste of winter, but those more grumpy ones were unwilling to make silly faces and instead began their endless tirade about the upcoming weather change.
Fancy Pants joined his wife, hoping to collect the kiss he was denied. “Hmm, I see a couple of enchanted clouds and—ah, it’s the Weather Corps, here to remind us to get some warm garments soon! But conjuring the snow here? That’s odd.”
“Do read the bulletin sometimes, husband. They need to warm up their weather spells some time before the season. Hearth’s Warming is less than a month away. You wouldn’t want the city spires not to be white by then, would you?”
He shook his head. “It’s just that I thought they would be practicing only near schools and kindergartens. You know, to get the children excited about the winter.”
An audible rumble came from the office. Fleur turned around.
“You were saying?”
The door opened with a mighty slam. Chestnut blasted outside, made a few spins in search for Fleur and Fancy Pants, then dashed towards the window. “Mom! Dad! Have you seen that? It’s snowing already! How cool is that?” She crouched by them and upon sweeping the floor with her mane she jumped to the ceiling. “We’re going to build the biggest snowpony ever!”
“Aw, Nutsie…”
Overwhelmed with emotions Fleur slumped to the floor, welcoming Chestnut in a tight grip. Fancy Pants did his best to maintain his posture and just ruffled the exuberant filly’s forelock, but when she and Fleur reached out and pulled him into their hug he had no choice but to capitulate. He fell to his knees and joined the chorus of laughs that reverberated across the corridor, receiving a big kiss from his wife soon after. That, together with the filly snuggling between them and enfolding them with her wings sealed the deal—they were now Chestnut’s parents, and she was their daughter.
And so the family lasted in that blissful embrace, oblivious to the world around them.
Doctor Hugs let out a satisfied sigh as he headed back to his office.
“I’ll bring the papers.”